U.S. patent number 6,006,915 [Application Number 09/188,845] was granted by the patent office on 1999-12-28 for case for audio device and headphone set.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Mead Corporation. Invention is credited to Marc Moor.
United States Patent |
6,006,915 |
Moor |
December 28, 1999 |
Case for audio device and headphone set
Abstract
A substantially pear-shaped case (30) for an audio device (20),
such as a compact disc player, and headphone set (10), the case
(30) formed of a base (32) with side walls (34) extending therefrom
to form a compartment tapering inwardly terminating in a narrowed
portion distal the base (32). In combination, the audio device (20)
is disposed in substantially upright condition in the compartment
of the case (30) while the headphones (10) lie in an inverted
substantially upright position with the ear speakers (12) lying in
an upper narrowed portion (37) of the case and the curved
connecting member (14) arranged in a U-shaped configuration lying
in cooperative nesting position with the audio device (20) adjacent
the base (32) of the case (30).
Inventors: |
Moor; Marc (Oakwood, OH) |
Assignee: |
The Mead Corporation (Dayton,
OH)
|
Family
ID: |
22694777 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/188,845 |
Filed: |
November 9, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/579; 190/102;
206/314; 224/929 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C
3/00 (20130101); A45C 15/00 (20130101); H04R
5/033 (20130101); H04R 1/1033 (20130101); Y10S
224/929 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45C
3/00 (20060101); A45C 15/00 (20060101); B65D
069/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/223,320,314,579,701,38 ;224/929,930 ;190/102 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Fidei; David T.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Thompson Hine & Flory LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A case for an audio device and headphone set comprising:
a base;
a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said base terminating
in a top end distal said base, said top end being narrower than
said base and having an aperture formed therethrough for the
passage of a cord strand, said base and said side walls defining a
chamber for closely receiving the audio device and headphone set;
and
a cover removably affixable over said chamber.
2. The invention of claim 1, further comprising an abutment
structure extending between said side walls.
3. The invention of claim 1, said side walls having an aperture
formed therethrough for passage of a strand.
4. In combination, an audio device, a set of headphones, and a case
for storing and transporting the audio device and set of headphones
comprising:
a substantially pear-shaped case including
a base;
side walls extending from said base defining a compartment with an
upper tapered region distal said base; and
a cover removably affixable over said compartment;
an audio device disposed in substantially upright condition within
said compartment; and
a set of headphones having speakers disposed at opposing ends of a
connecting member lying in inverted substantially upright condition
within said compartment with the connecting member arranged in a
U-shaped configuration in nesting juxtaposition with said audio
device with the speakers disposed in said upper tapered region of
said substantially pear-shaped case.
5. The invention of claim 4, wherein the audio device is disposed
between an abutment structure and a retaining member which extend
between said side walls.
6. The invention of claim 4, said substantially pear-shaped case
further including an aperture for passage therethrough of a cord
strand.
7. A method for forming a package comprising:
placing in juxtaposition with respect to one another within a
compartment of a substantially pear-shaped case including a base,
sidewalls extending from said base to form said compartment said
side walls tapering inwardly to form a narrowed portion of said
compartment distal said base, and a cover removably affixable over
said compartment
an audio device in substantially upright condition in said
compartment;
a headphone set which includes a pair of headphone speakers
disposed at opposing ends of a connecting member in said
compartment in inverted substantially upright condition with said
connecting member in a U-shaped configuration disposed adjacent
said base such that said speakers are disposed within said narrowed
portion of said compartment.
8. The invention of claim 7, further comprising the step of
securing said audio device within said compartment.
9. The invention of claim 8, wherein the step of securing said
audio device within said compartment comprises placing the audio
device between an abutment structure and a retaining member which
extend between said side walls of said substantially pear-shaped
case.
10. In combination, an audio device, a set of headphones, and a
case for storing and transporting the audio device and set of
headphones comprising:
a substantially pear-shaped case including a base and side walls
extending from said base defining a compartment with an upper
tapered region distal said base including an aperture for passage
therethrough of a cord strand;
an audio device disposed in substantially upright condition within
said compartment; and
a set of headphones lying outside of the case with a cord extending
through said aperture into said case.
11. The invention of claim 10, wherein the audio device is disposed
between an abutment structure and a retaining member which extend
between said side walls.
12. The case of claim 1 wherein said side walls are generally
curved and taper inwardly toward said top end.
13. The case of claim 1 further comprising a strap that can be
passed around said audio device to retain said audio device in said
case.
14. The case of claim 13 wherein said strap extends between said
side walls .
Description
The invention relates to cases for articles, and, more
particularly, relates to a case for receiving and transporting an
audio device, such as a compact disc player, and headphones.
Carrying cases are useful for storing and transporting personal
articles. Cases specifically made for receiving particular objects
are especially useful for storing and transporting those articles.
Examples of general and special-purpose cases for articles are
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,770 to Reich, II, U.S. Pat. No.
4,724,791 to McSorley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,789 to Leiserson, U.S.
Pat. No. 4,549,589 Nguyen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,663 to Hewett, U.S.
Pat. No. 4,141,401 to Hindemit, U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,282 to Rebold,
U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,300 to Withee, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,718,276 to
Child.
With the increased popularity of personal audio devices such as
compact disc players and the headphones which accompany them, it
can be appreciated that it would be useful to have a case
particularly suitable for storing and transporting an audio device
and accompanying headphones.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a substantially pear-shaped case for
an audio device, such as a compact disc player, and a set of
headphones. In combination, the audio device sits substantially
upright in the compartment of the case while the headphones lie in
an inverted upright position with the ear speakers lying in an
upper tapered portion of the case and with the connecting member of
the speakers lying in a cooperative nesting position with the audio
device.
Other advantages and objects of the present invention will be
apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings,
and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric illustration of a case for an audio device
and set of headphones in juxtaposition therewith in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is an isometric illustration of the case, audio device and
headphones of FIG. 1 in a combination configuration with one
another.
FIG. 3 is an illustration of the invention of FIG. 1 with the
headphones being utilized outside of the case through means of the
cord-strand aperture feature of the case.
FIG. 4 is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the
combination configuration of the case, audio device and headphones
of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Throughout the drawings the same reference numerals are used to
denote the same or like features of the invention. The case of the
subject invention is formed from an arrangement of what are
essentially panels or webs. These panels/webs are described in more
distinct terms below.
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 simultaneously, therein are
illustrated a case 30 for an audio device 20 (such as a compact
disc player) and set of headphones 10. The case 30, audio device 20
and headphone set 10 are illustrated in juxtaposition with one
another and in combination with one another, respectively, in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The case
30 is substantially pear-shaped in that the top portion is
narrowly-tapered in comparison with the base 30. The side walls 34
of the case 30 extend upwardly from the base 32 to form a
compartment. The walls 34 taper inwardly to form the narrowed top
portion 37 of the case 30 and compartment.
A transverse abutment structure 36 extends across the side walls 34
and serves as a backstop for the compartment formed by the side
walls 34 and base 32. The transverse abutment structure 36 may take
the form of an end or rear wall (or panel) or may take the form of
a central partition (or panel) if the case has compartments formed
on either side of the transverse abutment structure 36. In the
preferred embodiment illustrated a retaining member 38 in the form
of a strap extends across the abutment structure 36. The audio
device 20 is inserted between the retaining member 38 and the
abutment structure 36. As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, the
retaining member 38 receives the audio device 20 and releasably
secures it to the transverse abutment structure 36.
An aperture 42 for passage of a headphone cord 16 is formed at a
point in the side walls 34. The connecting cord for a set of
headphones typically consists of a strand or strands of insulated
wire. The aperture 42 permits a headphone cord 16 to extend through
the case 30 such that a pair of headphones 10 may be plugged into
an audio device 20 while the audio device 20 is secured in the case
30. In the preferred embodiment illustrated the aperture 42 lies at
the top of the case 30. Referring briefly to FIG. 3, it is noted
that placement of the aperture 42 at the top of the case 30 makes
it particularly convenient to utilize the headphones 10 to play the
audio device 20 while the device 20 is stored in the case 30 and
the case 30 is transported by means of a handle 44.
Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 simultaneously, a removable
cover, or panel, 40 is positionable over the opening to the
compartment formed by the base 32 and side walls 34. The cover 40
may be removably affixed over the opening by known securing
mechanisms such as zipper or clasp.
Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the disposition of the
case 30, audio device 20 and headphones 10 in combination with one
another will be further described. The audio device 20 (such as a
compact disc player) is placed in substantially upright condition
in the case 30. For added securement the audio device 20 is secured
within the case 30 by the retaining member 38. The headphone 10
unit is placed within the case 30 in an inverted, substantially
upright condition in nesting relationship with the audio device 20.
In this position the curved connecting member 14 which extends
between the ear speakers 12 is positioned at the base end of the
case in close nested arrangement with the audio device 20. This
disposition causes the speakers 12 to be positioned within the top,
narrowed portion 37 of the compartment of the case 30.
The connecting member 14 for a headphone set 10 is typically a
length of narrow, thin, semi-rigid, flexible material such as metal
or plastic, or a combination of such metal and plastic elements.
The connecting member 14 is typically fixed in an arced
configuration. The arced configuration of the thin connecting
member 14 permits the member 14 to be placed in close-contacting
nested relationship with the audio device as shown in FIG. 2. The
curvature of the typical connecting member 14 causes the speakers
12 to lie at the extreme opposite end of the U-shape assumed by the
connecting member 14 when the connecting member is flexed inwardly
and placed in the case 14. The length of the connecting member 14
permits the speakers 12 to be positioned above the audio device 20.
Because the connecting member 14 is typically thin and narrow, as
illustrated, it may be placed substantially flush against the face
of the audio device 20 without projecting significantly beyond the
face of the audio device 20. Because the connecting member 14 is
flexible and generally lies within an imaginary plane, and because
the speakers 12 are typically mounted so that they are disposed at
the ends of the connecting member 14, the speakers 12 do not extend
significantly beyond (if at all) the depth of the audio device 30.
The flexibility of the connecting member allows the speakers 12 to
be rotated slightly to minimize the space occupied by the speakers
12 when the headphone set 10 is placed in the case 30. Even when
each of the speakers 12 is substantially transversely oriented with
respect to the imaginary plane in which the connecting member lies,
the speakers do not project significantly outwardly beyond the face
of the audio device. Further, in the arrangement of the preferred
embodiment the rearward projection of the speakers generally lies
within the depth of the audio device 20 or does not extend
significantly beyond the device's depth.
When forming the combination, the audio device 20 is placed within
the case 30 substantially upright either within or without the
retaining strap 38. The headphone set 10 is arranged in the
U-shaped configuration and placed in close relationship with the
audio device. If the audio device is sufficiently smaller than the
area circumscribed by the connecting member 14 the headphone set 10
and audio device may be positioned such that the U-shaped
connecting member circumscribes the audio device. The order in
which the audio device 20 and headphone set 10 are placed in the
case 30 with respect to one another may vary from that described
immediately above. For example, the headphone set may be placed
within the case before the audio device is inserted. Or, the
headphone set and audio device may be juxtaposed in nesting
condition with one another as previously described above but
outside of the case and then inserted together into the case.
Referring momentarily to FIG. 4, an alternative arrangement is
illustrated wherein the headphone set 10 and audio device 20 are
aligned in a substantially transverse relationship with respect to
one another. In any of the configurations described above the
speakers and connecting member can be slightly torqued with respect
to one another as may be necessary to place the audio device and
headphone set within the case.
Suitable dimensions for a preferred embodiment of the case 30 are a
width (across the base 32 from side wall to side wall 34) of about
6 inches, a height (from base 32 to apex) of about 73/4 inches, and
a depth of about 5 inches. The case may be formed of any panel type
material capable of being configured into the elements described
and illustrated herein. One such suitable material in general is
nylon. A suitable specific type of nylon is known in the textile
industry as 420-D nylon. A reinforcing, protective, padding
material such as a layer of 3/16 inch pearlized foam is suitable
for insertion between multiple plies of the wall material. The
handle 44 may be formed of many different types of materials
capable of being configured into a handle structure. A suitable
handle material is light-weight nylon webbing. In the preferred
embodiment illustrated the handle 44 is reinforced at its center by
a material such as 1/16 inch expanded PVC.
The case 30 provides a convenient means for storing and
transporting associated audio devices 20 and headphone sets 10. The
combination of the case 30, audio device 20 and headphone set
provides a compact, convenient package. And, the method by which
the headphone set 10 and audio device 20 are placed within the case
30 provides a convenient method for forming the package.
Modifications may be made in the foregoing without departing from
the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. For example, the
audio device 20 may have different configurations. However, it is
to be noted that the case 30 and combination are particularly
accommodating when the device 20 is a compact disc player or other
mechanism which has a rounded or otherwise tapered end portion (as
illustrated) which is positioned near or adjacent the tapered end
portion of the case 30. The tapered end of the audio device 30 also
helps further facilitate nesting of the headphone set 10
therewith.
* * * * *